The top award for 2007-08 season goes to Tadija Dragicevic (205-F-86) of Crvena Zvezda. He was the top scorer and definitely best power forward in the Adriatic League. He was also the main contributor of Crvena, which qualified to ULEB Cup for next season. But he was strongly challenged by Cook, Hukic and Pekovic.American guard Omar Cook (186-G-82) and Dragicevic created a perfect duo in Crvena and probably top one in the league. Cook was 4th best scorer and best passer in Adriatic League. He was definitely the best point guard over entire season.Crvena Zvezda was surprisingly upset in the quarterfinals by Union Olimpija. Olimpija's leader Jasmin Hukic (204-G/F-79) gets the award of the best forward. Hukic plays on the position of small forward. Dargicevic (power forward) already got the MVP award, so to balnce the awards more, we decided to give best forward award to Hukic. His team will host this year Final Four.The best center in the league is definitely Euroleague Player of the Year Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86) of Partizan Igokea. He may end as the most awarded player this year in Europe. He made top awards from Euroleague, now Adriatic League and will for sure make some in domestic Serbian league.Dusko Vujosevic was the Coach of the Year as he reached an impressive record with his team Partizan Igokea.

Gerbaudo in hoop summit 2008 -by Facundo IatzkyYoung argentinian point guard Diego Gerbaudo (182-G-89) was selected to play the classical Hoop summit game to be played this saturday on Portland, Oregon, USA. Diego is playing in Real Madrid currently and will have the big chance of showing himself with the most talented players of his age. He is very ansious waiting for the game. 52 players ho played this game before are playing in the NBA now. Among them are Fabricio Oberto and Luis Scola.

Libertad won Quilmes for little different 91 to 89 and like that, was the hard game in Sunchales. Up to the last moment could win who make fewer mistakes. Libertad went out to play this game as the winner of the first round, but found a Quilmes different of the one that played the regular season, making an intense game.Libertad (91): Starters: Sebastian Ginobili 14, Pablo Moldu (191-G-78) 21, Laron Profit 18, Andres Pelussi 4, Robert Battle (200-C-81, college: Drexel) 19; Off the bench: Jorge Benitez 5, Marcos Saglietti 10. DT: Julio LamasQuilmes (89): Starters: Hernando Salles 6, Eduardo Villares 7, Carl Edwards (196-F-81, college: Charleston) 18, Harold Arceneaux 4, Ezequiel Dentis 9; Off the bench: Nicolas Aguirre 13, Roberto M. Maciel (197-F-83) 19, Diego Romero 13. DT: Oscar Sanchez

Obras surprised Boca as a guest taking the game in their favour by 78 to 73.Despite on the long trip without rest that Boca had to pass for the South American League games no is excuses to lost a play off game at home; was a game full of mistakes that start to show the big problems into an International team as Boca is.Boca Juniors (73): Starters: Luis Cequeira 7, Devon Ford 6, Gustavo Orona 5, Leonardo Gutierrez 15, Gabriel Fernandez (204-C-76) 17; Off the bench: Raymundo Legaria 5, Fernando Funes 5, Alejandro Alloatti 2, Grady Reynolds 4, Lionel Schattmann 7. DT: Gabriel Piccato.Obras (78): Starters: Fernando Titarelli 14, Gabriel Cocha 2, Chris Jeffries 12, Lazaro Borrell (202-F-72, agency: Interperformances) 20, Tyler Field 4; Off the bench: Fernando Calvi (200-F-81) 22, Daniel Chaer 2, Facundo Venturini 2. DT: Bernardo Murphy.

*****************************************************BOSNIA

Siroki Prima pivo sign Nkechi Ezugwu -by Eurobasket Siroki Prima pivo strengthened their roster with addition of 32-year old American center Nkechi Ezugwu (203-C-76, college: E.Michigan, agency: Interperformances). Ezugwu played most recently at Aget Imola (Italy). Ezugwu has also British passport, so can be considered as a Bosman status player. he graduated Eastern Michigan 10 years ago and since his graduation, he played pro basketball in Europe in France, Spain and last few years in Italy.

Players abroad -by Eurobasket NewsStanko Barac (217-C-86) scored 2 points for Pamesa Valencia in Uleb Cup Elite Eight. In the game against another Spanish team Joventut was stronger 77:67 and advanced to the Final Four. Demond Mallet led the winners with 16 points. Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca posted 14 points, while Ricky Rubio scored 12. Shammond Williams top-scored in the losing effort with 25 points. Mirza Teletovic (205-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) produced 10 points for Spanish Tau Ceramica that deserved a place in Euroleague Final Four in the decisive game over Partizan Igokea. Tau were too good in the second half and led to 85:68 advantage to make the score 2-1 in the series. Pete Mickeal paced the winners with 19 points. Tiago Splitter collected 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Igor Rakocevic nailed 15. Uros Tripkovic finished the night with 16 points for Serbian squad.Tau will face CSKA Moscow in the semifinal game next month in Madrid. After a loss in the second game in Serbia Tau still had a home court advantage and better chances to advance. Partizan did not take it too serious and won the opening tip 7:14. A pair of free throws by Pekovic closed the first quarter with Partizan leading 16:19. It was the last lead for the guests as TAU grabbed the way to control the game Vranes made it 23:19. Pablo Prigioni and Tiago Splitter increased to 38:29 entering the last minute of the first half. Milt Palacio was the last to score in the second quarter making the margin at 38:32. In the third quarter Partizan stayed tough and trailed 5-7 points. Before the last 10 minutes of the game the guests were behind, 60:53. To make the things better in the game Pete Mickeal brings the hosts for 65:56. Pablo Prigioni sank 2 free throws for a 72:57 advantage and the game was over at that time. The guests came within 79:66 but they could not take Tau's spot in the Final Four. Spanish squad led the game to 85:68 and advanced with 2-1 in the series. A-1 Championship Stage with 8 teams in it has already started in Croatia. Zagreb had a 76:88 road victory over Cedevita. Bosnian Mario Dundovic (200-F/C-77, agency: Court Side) and Simon led the winners with 21 points. Jurica Zuza top-scored in defeat with 14 points. Slaven Rimac added 13 while Pero Dujmovic and Ryan Forehan-Kelly contributed 11 apiece.Barisa Krasic (203-F-78) produced 9 points for Cibona that together with Zadar showed a real Croatian battle and needed an overtime to solve the winner. Zadar won 106:96 and was dominant throughout the game. Corey Brewer was a hero with 28 points and six rebounds. Chris Warren had 28 points, six rebounds and four assists for Cibona. Split and Zadar improved to 3-0 record after the latest games in A league for the Championship.

*****************************************************BRAZIL

Ceara hoops and the Russian investment -by Gustavo CardosoNo, you are not reading the Post or The Sun, but the headline surely fits those tabloids editorials. I hope it caught your attention, because there is not much media on Ceara basketball, and much less on the 'Russian' I'm about to introduce you to.

Ceara is one of the most beautiful states of Brazil known for its white sandy beaches, and that constant afternoon onshore wind that attracts kite surfers from everywhere around Europe. Locals love the beach as well, but some are also into hoops, and a man by the name of Dannyel Russo (Russian) is definitely one of the key promoters of the game over there. No, he is not from CSKA, but the post is worth the read. Follow me.

Two weeks ago Ceara won the title of the 58th Brazilian U17 (born in 1991 or before) Championships Region 2 (Northeastern states only) after beating Rio Grande do Norte in the final (83-58). As usual Pernambuco was one of the main forces in the competition, but it was Ceara, coached by Russo, who took the gold.

These tournaments are organized by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB), and serve as growing ground for yet unspotted talents, in the five main regions of the country (North, Northeast, Central West, Southeast, and South). The events are a unique opportunity for coaches to exchange information, and for players to match up their skills against more talented rivals than they are used to.

In this Brazilian Far Northeast, as in many other regions around the globe, the survival of the game proves a challenge on itself day in and day out. Dannyel Russo is an example of persistency and dedication. He was himself a member of the Ceara state squad back in the days, and despite the difficulties related to a basketball career in Brazil, he never let the vibe of the game loose its vividness. He works as a Phys Ed teacher in various schools of Fortaleza, and coaches another handful of basketball teams across the city.

After the win in Campina Grande he received many e-mails from prominent coaches in the Brazilian basketball realm praising his efforts off the court, but he doesn't get caught up with these, let's say, mixed feelings. He knows he is the catalyst for kids and basketball in Ceara, and if he stops for one instant, things might not move forward after all.

As the history of Brazilian sports tells us, it is extremely important that characters like Dannyel Russo continue to work with the youth in developing the game. We never know when a new Leandrinho or Nenê will show up, but passionate coaching and mentoring are key to make these kids prosper as individuals, and if possible, as great standouts of the game.

I have interviewed Dannyel Russo, and will post our conversation on the blog as soon as I can. In the meantime check out this video I found on the web. Felipe Macedo, a 3 year old cearense, is far from being a basketball star, but his skills on ball handling are pretty good for his age. I wonder if Russo already knows him.

Note: Originally posted on Fiba.com (Blogosphere)

*****************************************************COSTA RICA

Barva and San Luis win again -by Gianni PascucciDespite playing without top player Andres Barrantes (183-G/F-80), injured, Ferreteria Brenes Barva took another game in LSB last round, largely defeating Tienda El Parque Escazu 93-69. Isaac St.Rose (190-G-84, college: John Brown) scored 17 pts in Barva, and Rogerio Barker (182-G-75) 16 in Escazu. Suprising rookie team San Luis Gonzaga de Cartago kept the pace of Barva, defeating Perez Zeledon 100-71. Alejandro Grijalba (187-F-82) was the best in San Luis with 25 points, and Jackie Acuna (190-F-81) outstood at the losing side, with 25 he too. Coopenae Liceo de Costa Rica faced an hard opposition from BCR Colono Limon, and won the game 75-71, with Kendrick Jones (190-G-83, college: Columbus St.) leading the winners with 24 points and Henry Martinez (186-G/F-75, agency: Interperformances) scoring 25 in losing effort. Santa Cecilia destroyed Goicoechea 103-58, with Jeffrey Spencer (189-F-81) scoring 21 points at the winning side and David Moreira 13 pts in Goicoechea

Keravnos Strovolou is the Champion for the seazon 2007-2008!! -by Chris Mammides

It is a fact now, Keravnos Strovolou is the new champion of the Cyprus league after seven years (last title was during the period 2000-2001)

Keravnos Strovolou beat Aspis Apoel Nicosia in a game which finished just some minutes ago, with 71-66 and won the title!! The Cypriot captain, Giorgos Anastasiadis (194-G/F-77) was the MVP of the game and proved once more why he considered all these years being the top Cypriot player the last decade, even though some people doubted in many occasions this season, eurobasket.com, was always on the site of the captain of Strovolos and Cyprus NT and many times criticize the 'basketball experts' who doubted the jewel of Cyprus Basketball.

In regards to the game now, the game was a real derby, as expected and as all the games between these two teams, the last two decades.

Keravnos Strovolou took an early lead and never lost it until the end. The two teams under the pressure of the game and its importance started the game quite nervously, during the first quarter, Keravnos took a lead of 10 points 17-7 to lost it immediately with Aspis Apoel Nicosia's top performer Jo-Jo Garcia (who was very good exactly like all the games against Keravnos all the years of his presentation with Apoel's jersey) cut the deficit to 5, with a small series of 0-5. Top player in this first quarter was Bryant Smith with 6 points. During the second half, Keravnos had some serious problems as two of the basic players and important tools, Aleksandar Radojevic (220-C-76, college: Barton County CC) and Hart were called their third personal foul just 14 and 16 minutes after the beginning of the game, that was when Apoel made its comeback (especially after Aleksandar Radojevic's third foul, as he was amazing in his defending duties up until that minute), the score became 27-25 to finish with 38-31, when Giorgos Anastasiadis took over. In the third quarter there was only one team in the court and that was Keravnos Strovolou, the Strovolos team with very strong defence and very good peripheral game took the initiatives and driven the score to its maximum of 11 points, 47-36, 3.23'' before the end of the game. Aspis Apoel Nicosia reacted and made the score 51-43 by the end of the third quarter.

The fourth and most crucial quarter, Aspis Apoel Nicosia tried to take the control of the game, the yellow players of Yiangoullis, manage to do so and cut the deficit even to the two points but.... Giorgos Anastasiadis took his gun and with his passion and spirit like a real captain in the difficulties showed his gats, and like all the games in Strovolos against Apoel, lead his team to a great victory 71-66 and the title to Strovolos and Paris Papaellinas 's team.

At the end of the game the MVP of the game, Giorgos Anastasiadis stated that the Cypriot players were the key of the success and won the title, as Keravnos during the seazon had many difficulties with the foreigners and especially the American players, due to injuries.

Eurobasket.com, congratulates the winning team of Keravnos Strovolou and wishes all the best to the European games of the coming seazon.

*****************************************************CZECH REPUBLIC

Round 41 results and stats -by Eurobasket NewsCEZ Basket Nymburk reached their 40th win in the championship after a road win over BK Pardubice. The favorite and the leader of the league overcame their opponent 79:61 having however some difficulties in the second quarter. CEZ Basket Nymburk opened the game 28:20, but then BK Pardubice reduced it to three points at halftime. Things got better in the third stanza when the leader increased the lead to 57:51. The last quarter provided a good end to the game. Blake Schilb (201-G-83, college: Loyola, IL) led the winners with 22 points. Radoslav Rancik (207-F/C-78, college: St.Cloud St.) provided 18, whilst Benda and Lee had 12 each. Sullivan Phillips (196-F-79, college: Columbia Union) shined for the hosts with 20 points. Geofin Novy Jicin beat BK Sadska 95:60 to take a 32-9 record. In that game the second team of the league did not even let the spectators think of another result. From the early beginning until the end the hosts dominated the game. Hurl Beechum (196-F-73, college: Iowa St.) and Marek Stec (193-G-80, college: Jacksonville JC) paced the winners with 18 points each. Chapman followed him with 13 points. David Spicka (199-F-72) had 15 points in the losing effort. In other games A Plus OHL ZS Brno won over BK Usti 91:66. BK Kondoři Liberec lost to BK Prostějov 70:79, while BK Děcin was defeated by USK Praha 81:87. NH Ostrava demolished BC Kolin 105:72 for 21-20 record.

Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86) of Partizan Igokea Beograd (SRB) was voted Euroleague Player of the Year by Eurobasket correspondents. It was a very close vote with Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82) of Aris Thessaloniki (GRE).

Massey had slightly better stats. He had only 0.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 1.4 index rate per game more than Pekovic but he played 3 games less than Pekovic because of Euroleague quarter finals. Massey spent 33 minutes per game on the court while Pekovic had 27 mpg. Guard of the Year goes to Will Solomon. He had strong competition coming from Papaloukas, McIntyre and Diamantidis. But he posted better final stats. But there was no doubt who gets the award of the best defensive player. It goes to Terence Morris of Maccabi Elite who was top blocker and grabbed most of the rebounds. We had some problems with selecting top 5 import players. Tau's Tiago Splitter should make that list. But he has also Spanish passport, so is already counted as domestic player.

Notice: The awards are done before Final Four, so they are nto effected by the last 4 games and they give more credit to overall- season, not just final stage.The final votes were combined by Dragan Jankovski of Eurobasket Serbia/Euroleague

Korisliiga, Semi-finals, Game 2: Kouvot (Kouvola) is rolling towards the finals and YMCA Lappeenranta tied to 1-1 tonight. Kouvot won over Torpan Pojat(Helsinki) 81-77 and Honka (Espoo) suffered 81-84 loss at home in Espoo. Kouvot was leading all 40 minutes and was led by Corey Smith (196-G/F, agency: Warren Sports, college: Vanderbilt) (27 pts). Kouvot - ToPo 2-0. YMCA Lappeenranta's all four starters who did not play on Wednesday, did play tonight good (31-40) minutes and Honka was in troubles. Adrian Henning (203-F-82, agency: EM-PA, college: Austin Peay St.) led YMCA LPR with 22 pts. Ivan Harris (201-F-84, college: Ohio St.) added 20 pts. Honka - YMCA Lappeenranta 1-1. Games 3 on Sunday April 13 and on Monday April 14.

BG Dorsten adds five new players for next season -by Moritz KorffBG Dorsten, newcomer to the Regionalliga West for the 2008-2009 season, has already completed its roster for the upcoming season, only a couple of weeks after celebrating the championship in the 2. Regionalliga. Gerrit Budde (203-C-89), Bennet Kemper (196-G/F-88), Jonas Kuehlborn (194-G-91), Philipp Spettmann (200-C-91), Nderim Pelaj (179-G-88), Felix Werner (198-G-88), Stephan Overwien (192-G-81) and Dennis Neugebauer (203-C-78) will all stay in Dorsten and play one more year for Coach Alois Buschmann. Five fresh players are going to join the team for 08-09, three Germans and two Americans. However, Teammanager Thomas Herrmann and the club-officials have not published the names of the newcomers yet, as they are all still suiting up for other teams.

BBL-Cup Top Four: These are the match-ups -by Moritz KorffThe draw for the 2008 German BBL-Cup Top Four took place this week in Hamburg, the host-city of the tournament. ALBA Berlin will take on the Artland Dragons from Quakenbrueck in the first semifinal-game, EnBW Ludwigsburg and Eisbaeren Bremerhaven are going to meet in game two. The winners of the semis move on to the final, which will be played the day after. The Top Four takes place in the Color-Line-Arena in Hamburg on May 3/4.

*****************************************************GUATEMALA

Sat-Cybertech puts on a show at home and defeats Icevic -by Victor PadillaWith a 67-55 win over Icevic, Sat-Cybertech delighted its home fans with a victory that placed the Guatemalan team back at the top of Group B of Liga Centroamericana de Clubes 2008. Consistency, good defense, team play and a fast transition game characterized the play of the winners, in a match that showcased four players over 10 points each (Ricardo Amaya 14, import player Oscar Rivera 13, Heberth Rodriguez 12, Thomas Gillespie 11) and where Gerson Duarte (202-C-83) fiercely patrolled the paint with 5 blocks on the visiting team, thus proving that a balanced group effort surely paves the way for victory. For the losing cause, Jerry Echenique led his team with 13 points; but additional help came from the hands of Pedro Salazar and import player James Parker with 9 points each, a production very well under their average. Tomorrow's game will decide which of these two teams will end up in First Place of this group, while both look ahead for the Final Four event that will be held at Cancun next week, and where Pioneros de Quintana Roo (which scouted today's game with a video camera) and Liceo de Costa Rica await to conclude the tournament.

Thursday night in FEB eredivisie play, Upstairs Weert, needing a win to stay in the hunt for the last playoff spot, got the job done on the rod vs. Landstede Basketball, while a strong 2nd half effort by Eiffel Towers helped them win convincingly over Hanzevast Capitals, and Den Helder Seals played a spoiler role and beating Rotterdam Challengers.

In the ZBC-hal, with Landstede leading 76-70 with 59.1 secs. remaining, Upstairs did not give up, thanks to big plays by both Ashley Champion (198-F-81, college: Chattanooga), Trey McDowell (188-G-85, college: Louisiana Tech) and Maarten Esveldt (200-F-84), wiping the Landstede lead away with a 10-0 run, going on to win 80-76. McDowell gave Landstede fits throughout the entire game, with Landstede failing to come up with a way to shut him down. McDowell scored a game-high 29 pts. Champion was a warrior, after an Esveldt three-pointer that tied the game up at 76-76, he came up with a big steal at halfcourt and was fouled on a layup attempt. Champion calmly made both free throws that gave Upstairs the lead for good. Despite coughing up the ball three times in crunch time, Landstede still had a chance to win the game in te last seconds, but a Gerad Punch (193-G/F, college: Furman) three-point attempt with 2.9 seconds remaining rimmed out. Esveldt was fouled on the rebound and iced the win for Upstairs with making two free throws. The win put Upstairs in a position to shake up the bottom half of the FEB playoff race.

In the Maaspoort on Thursday night, Eiffel Towers overcame a 31-15 deficit to over take Hanzevast Capitals in the second half, going on to win convincingly 88-76.

Travis Young (184-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Marshall) was unstopable, scoring a game-high 26 pts., with 5 assists and 4 steals to lead Eiffel. A 36-22 3rd quarter made a big difference for Eiffel. With the win, Eiffel moves into 3rd place ahead of Matrixx Magixx with still a chance to catch West-Brabant Giants for 2nd place.

Snaefell beat Grindavik again. -by Siggi HjorleifssonIt did not look like Snaefell was going win this game. Grindavik had a great start in first quarter making almost every shot and leading 25-14 after first period.Second period Snaefell start playing their style of game. Controling the speed and playing good defense. 21-12 for Snaefell in second period but Grindavik still leading by 2 at halftime.Third period was again in hometeam hands where the score was 29-17 . After that Grindavik did not really have a chance against well organized team.The king of the boards Hlynur Baeringsson (200-F-82, agency: IceBasket) had a huge game with 20 points 21 rebounds 7 blocks and playing great defense on Grindavik US player Jamaal Williams.Other scorers for Snaefell. Magni Hafsteinsson 5. Jon Jonsson 3. Anri Asgeirsson 3. Sigurdur Thorvaldsson 14. Justin Shouse 16. Anders Katholm 13. Slobodan Subasic 5.For Grindavik. Adame Darboe 16. Jamaal Williams 10. Pall Kristinsson 13. Pall Vilbergsson 13. Igor Beljanski 6. Thorleifur Olafsson 8. Helgi Gudfinnson 5.Snaefell leading the serie 2-0

Cleveland not likely to give Ilgauskas the right to play in Olympics -by Eurobasket NewsZydrunas Ilgauskas (218-C-75, agency: Interperformances) might not play in the Olympics for Lithuania. He is one of 14 players in the NBA who need permission from their team to play in international competition because of insurance clauses. Zydrunas Ilgauskas doesn't have insurance coverage on his back and feet. It means if he were to get hurt during the Olympics, the Cavs would have no protection on the millions they owe them. So far Zydrunas Ilgauskas averages 14 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. In the last game he scored 13 rebounds and made 5 rebounds in a 104:83 win over the Nets. When LeBron James surpassed the Cleveland Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer Brad Dougherty Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and 10 boards to provide needed help for LeBron James. James dropped 23 points in the second half and the hosts toppled the Raptors 90:83. The victory marked the 9th straight home success for the Cavaliers. Chris Bosh notched 24 points. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a big man who can dominate under both baskets. A little too skinny to challenge more athletic centers he struggles too hard against them. When is close to the basket, all balls above the rim are his. It's hard to push him out when he takes the position.

*****************************************************MEXICO

Santiago Aguirre a Future Force in Mexico? -by Justin BrinkMexico is looking toward a future where qualifying for the Olympics or 'Worlds' in basketball will come to be expected and the arrival of Santiago Aguirre (203-C-85, college: Westmont) to the Pioneros of Cancun may be is a positive step in that direction. Aguirre's arrival could could open a new chapter in Mexican basketball. Whether that chapter will lead to a storybook ending is much too early to tell. Horacio Llamas was named as 2007's basketballer of the year in Mexico and Victor Avila (both are Mexico NT players) was named as the LNBP's top Mexican player in the LNBP by Eurobasket.com this past week. They, along with Romel Castro Beck, who is in his late 20's, represent the cream of Mexico's basketball crop. Enter Santiago Aguirre, 22 year old pivot who played his high school ball in Santa Barbara, California and debuted professionally last year with Fuerza Regia. Aguirre's performance as a rookie caught the eye of the Pioneros and he was contracted by them to play in the LCB (Liga Centroamericana de Basquetbol), which the Pioneros won easily this past March. The Pioneros like what the see so far but it may be a little early to qualify, the little tested Aguirre as the leader of the Mexican youth basketball movement. Comment on Aguirre's hoops prowess here.

Trent Johnson named new LSU head coach -by Jeremy RubioFormer Stanford Cardinal head coach Trent Johnson was named the new head coach at LSU on Thursday. Johnson lead the Cardinal to a 28-8 (13-5 PAC-10) record and a Sweet 16 appearance during the 2007-08 campaign. In 4 seasons at Stanford, Johnson compiled an overall record of 80-48 (.625), taking the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament 3 times ('05, '07, and '08). At LSU, Butch Pierre had taken over on an interim basis for former head coach John Brady, who was fired after an 8-13 start to the 2007-08 season. The LSU Tigers finished with a record of 13-18, the program's worst since the the 1998-99 season. Trent Johnson will look to lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their Final 4 run of 2006.

*****************************************************NCAA3

Seven D3-players at Collegiate Basketball Invitational -by Moritz KorffSeven D3-seniors have been invited to attend the Collegiate Basketball Invitational. The CBI is described as a major national basketball event that will gather the finest 65 senior men's basketball players from all of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and Division III and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The event will take place at Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio, and will consist of eight teams of eight players (one team with nine players) in an eight-team tournament. Each team will play a total of three games that will be played Thursday and Friday, culminating with the championship game being played Friday night at 8 p.m. The CBI will conclude with an all-star game Saturday evening in front of a live, ESPNU audience as 20 players will be selected to play in the game.The seven D3-players to join the CBI-action are:James Cooper (6'0''-G-86)Mardochee Jean (6'8''-C)Andrew Olson (5'10''-G)Troy Ruths (6'6''-F-85)Ben Strong (6'11''-C-86)Larry Welton (6'5''-F)Anthony Williams (6'1''-G)

Check out the complete rosters on the official website of the CBI: click

*****************************************************NIGERIA

Diogu and Pacers still have much to prove to get as far as to the playoff zone -by Eurobasket NewsIke Diogu (203-F/C-83, college: Arizona St.) and his Pacers trimmed the distance to the Hawks to two games beating them 112:98 and revived the intrigue in the playoff hunt in the East. Mike Jr. Dunleavy came up with 28 points and the Pacers posted their third straight win. Ronald Murray contributed 20 points and 10 assists for the winning side. Joe Johnson answered with 30 points for the Hawks. With four games remaining the Pacers still have much to prove to get as far as to the playoff zone. They face difficult trips to Washington and Philadelphia in the reminder of the regular season. Ike Diogu averages 5.6 points per game and 2.8 rebounds. Ime Udoka (196-F/G-77, agency: Edge Sports, college: Portland St.) had a good night against Phoenix collecting 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Amare Stoudemire however led 6 Phoenix players in double figures en route to an impressive 96:79 road win over San Antonio. Shaquille O'Neal came back after a hip contusion and provided 16 points and collected 9 boards for the winners. He accounted for 8 points in the crucial fourth frame when the Suns outgunned the hosts 24:11 to celebrate the second straight victory. The Spurs looked convincing in the opening stanza and built a 24:16 lead. But the visitors adjusted their shooting after the intermission and evened things at halftime. The Suns started to get away after the long break. Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal ignited a 13:0 run early in the fourth frame and Phoenix never looked back again. Leandrinho Barbosa finished with 14 points, while Steve Nash had 12 points and 10 assists in a win. Tim Duncan notched 23 points and 10 boards for the Spurs. Tony Parker added 20 points as San Antonio secured the second spot in the West despite the defeat. Ime Udoka averages 5.5 points per game and 3.1 rebounds.

Hill joins the Bulldogs -by Gianni PascucciJames R. Schutz , the General Manager and Head Coach of the Elmira Bulldogs, announced the agreement with 6'5' 220 lbs Mansifeld University star sensation Kevin Hill. This past season the big guard led the NCAA D-2 school to a 17-10 record and finished as the team's leading scorer at 13.1 points per game while hitting 79 three point shots while shooting %40 from down town on the season. The addition of this good scorer and long distance shooter could be very effective for the Bulldogs, that will receive tonight the new league team West Virginia Wild

Interview with Hernol Hall -by Wojciech StrzebinczykPolpharma Starogard Gd. still waiting for the league management decision about getting 'wild card' for new DBE season after they relegated in 2007/2008. But they base bigman made big progress last season and going to be very competitive player on European market upcoming year. His name is Hernol Hall (205-C-82, agency: Sports Plus International, college: Lon Morris JC) and he was CostaRican National Team player. Hall spent last two seasons in Polish Extraleague and last months he was nominated, played in All Stars Game and 24 games for Polpharma with averages 10.3ppg, 9.0rpg, 1.1bpg, 1.6spg durging 26mpg!

1) You are another season in Poland. How do you like Starogard after spent few month in Grudziadz/Swiecie?- The only thing that I can say is that Starogard is a smaller places than Grudziadz and is not many places you can go when you have free time but was ok.

2) What do you think about polish league?- I think that is a good league that every year grow more and more, hopefully and I know in the future it would be one of the tops leagues in Europe.

3) You played in America before and Costa Rican National Team. How to compare this game style and experiences to polish league?- Is totally different, is so fast and organize and they let you play. Is not that you will get in the game and play like a street player but your coaches trust your skills because he know what you can do and you are always welcome to try some new style of game that you want PLAY FREE, but never get out the system.

4) What's the reason of your team dropping down from extraleague this season? Team was very close salvation but in last game lost with Slask Wroclaw and lost the extraleague after 4 years playing in DBE?- I think was cause we didn't have consistency too many changes some good ones and some bad. No luck.

5) You mainly like to play on power forward position or better like a center?- My real position is power foward but I also can play at the center, so it doesn't matter to me I can change my game depending on the situation that I am into.

6) You was the second rebounder in DBE after regular season with 9.0 rebounds per game during only 26 minutes per game. How you do that?- In order for my team to score they will need the ball so thats my job get as many rebounds I can to make my team closer to win the game. Instinct and athleticism was the most important.

7) You debut this year in polish league All Star Game. How you remembered this experience?- It was a great experience I had lots of fun with guys from different clubs, I will never forget this.

8) What's your objectives for another season? Going to stay in Poland or move another country?- I will like play in Poland again if I get the chance, but it would be nice if I can play for one of the top teams, but if not I will move on to another country .

9) What are you doing in free time after the season?- I never stop practice, but this time I will have to take a little break cause I have some small injuries that I must take care of during off season.

Atkins only ill -by Michal FalkowskiDespite the last news the point guard of Asco Slask Wroclaw, Rashid Atkins (182-G-75, agency: Interperformances, college: St.Joseph's), hasn't broken the contact with his club and hasn't gone anywhere. American player was simply out of practises due to the illness he had got. If everything goes well Atkins will train normally from tomorrow. Atkins is a key player averaging this season 9.5 ppg. and 4.6 apg. We remind that Asco Slask has just begun preparing to the first phase of play-off. Asco will play against Atlas Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski.

*****************************************************PORTUGAL

LIGA UZO playoffs quarter finals (preview) -by Luis RochaThis saturday and this monday, the first rounds of the quarter finals will be played. The last results and hapennings, made everybody really concerned, because a lot of clubs of Liga are thinking about left this competition and start playing in the semi-professional Proliga. Many professional players feel this news as a big shock and their heads cannot concentrate as they should on the game...Nevertheless the playoffs are here, and tomorrow teams have to play their best and try to win games and be champions. The winners of the regular season Ovarense will play against the last Barreirense. Two weeks ago this series will be as good as decided, right now Barreirense can have a word, specially if the players from Ovar kept their heads down after their president decision of withdraw the team from LIGA next season. Ovarense lost last weekend against Vitoria (Proliga) in the semis of Taca de Portugal, and wednesday at home against Vagos. Hard job at this days for coach Manuel Povea ....if he managed to rise the moral of his players high, that will be one game if not, Barreirense who beat CAB at Madeira can cause a big surprise. For me Ovarensae is the better team, they're the favourites in this series, and so this being to the players to forget the future and concentrate on playing and winning, because they were signed to do that. Barreirense has to play hard to benefit with the mistakes and weak present moral of their opponents. Porto will play Belenenses, in Porto the news is even worse than in Ovar, their director stated that the team only play in a Professional LIGa, if the other clubs decide against a pro LIGA , Porto will left all competitions....Bad thing to say, the team lost the final of Taca de Portugal last sunday and then lost again last wednesday against Lusitania at home. The same thing has Ovarense, if coach Alberto Babo managed to get the spirits of his team high Porto can win, if not Belenenses who already won over Porto this season, will take good profit on that situation. As The team from Ovar Porto is far better team than Belenenses and they should be able to get trough this series, but not without getting many things out of their sistem. After they were beated at home wednesday, CAB lost the 4th position and will play against Ginasio that assured that place. This will seem like a good serie, with two teams that can easily win from one another. Ginasio nowadays has a deeper roster than CAB, but CAB has portuguese players with many battles fought over many seasons and in a playoff, that surely counts. In the regular season Ginasio get 2 wins against 1 , now I think CAB can go forward, if they get all their players healthy all trough this serie. Finally Vagos will play a strange Lusitania, that has lost all their consistency since the depart of coach Manuel Povea . Vagos also is getting on ups and downs, another close serie, but I think that the more experienced roster of Vagos can prevail. In the regulaer season Vagos won 2-1, but in the 2 games won they did it only by 1 point. Hard fight no doubt about it. Good chance in this quarter finals to the back bone of Porto step forward, Paulo Cunha (199-G/F-80), Nuno Marcal (205-F-75) and Joao Figueiredo (183-G-79) need to play at their top level otherwise Porto may backm down in front of Belenenses, who by his side will count on Diogo Carreira (180-G-78) Daniel Monteiro (182-G-82) and Lance Soderberg (206-F/C-82, college: Azusa Pacific) to turn things their way. Ovarense need to get their foreign players back at their natural level, Cordell Henry (178-G-80, agency: Naiditch Entertainment, college: Marquette) is playing far behind his status this season, maybe in the playoffs he arise. Barreirense will count on his big men Darrell Harris (208-C-84, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: Rhode Island) to shorten distances. Vagos will count on Rico Hill (200-F-77, agency: Priority Sports, college: Illinois St.) and Tyrone Levett (195-G/F-80, college: Alabama St.), as well as on Pedro Nuno (190-G/F-71), Lusitania needs to get Jamar McKnight (195-G/F-80, college: Clemson) healthy and ease the mind of their big man Omari Peterkin (204-F/C-83, college: Boston U.) of get hot tempered many times and loose concentration. Ginasio has to revive the good moments of Brandon Voorhees (201-F-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Park), a excelent player who suddenly star playing above his level, and coach Sergio Salvador needs to remind his players that they have to get the ball inside more often, even to after that can take some easy shotds from outside, the team is taking many three pointers without getting the ball in. CAB will put their hopes on their leader Jose Costa (187-G-73), and in their big men Rob Summers (213-C-84, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: W.Virginia) and Nick Neumann (215-C-80, agency: Duran International, college: Florida Atlantic), let's see if Summers is healthy by now, the guy is been getting some injuries and CAB needs all their guys fit right now.

CSKA Moscow is headed back to the Final Four! The Russian champs defeated Olympiacos Piraeus 81-56 on Wednesday night in Moscow to win their best-of-three Quarterfinal Playoffs series 2-1 and secure their record sixth straight trip to the Final Four next month in Madrid. The hosts were in control throughout, building a double-digit lead midway through the second period and never letting Olympiacos get closer than 7 the rest of the way. CSKA also avenged its only home loss of the season suffered against Olympiacos in Game 1 of the series. Ramunas Siskauskas (197-G-78) paced CSKA with 24 points on a career-high 5 three-pointers, while Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) scored 13 and Theo Theodoros Papaloukas (200-G-77) added 12 for the winners, who had a terrific shooting night going 13 for 22 from downtown and 14 for 15 from the line. Panagotis Vasilopoulos (202-F-84) netted a career-high 17 and Lynn Greer (186-G-79, college: Temple) scored 11 for Olympiacos, which has now lost in the quarterfinals for the third year in a row.

*****************************************************SERBIA

Bojan Bakic joins Maroussi Athens -by Dragan JankovskiEx player of Budunost Podgorica, Union Olimpija and Hemofarm, Bojan Bakic (197-G-83, agency: Beo Basket) agreed terms with Greek A1 team Maroussi from Athens. For 29 games in Adriatic league this season Bakic averaged 10.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 1.1 apg while for 12 games in ULEB Cup he had 10.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg and 1.8 apg.

In the past Bakic won Adriatic league title with Hemofarm and was a member of S&M U20 and U18 National Team. On season 00/01 he won domestic championship and became the National Cup winner with Buducnost Podgorica.

Mitar Trivunovic, player of Kraski zidar Jadran, achieved 42 points on the Wednesday's game of UPC Telemach League For The Existence against Alpos from Sentjur. This is the second highest achievement in The UPC Telemach League this season and is only one point behind Gil Goodrich's (178-G-82, Zagorje) record of scoring 43 points against Polzela on March 15th. We asked Trivunovic what was going on in his head during the game, as we were curious how someone can achieve something like this.

Trivunovic answers: 'Before coming to Kraski zidar Jadran, I had a lot of problems with my heart and was not able to play basketball for three months. It was a big challenge for me to come back and it still is, as I believe I can do even much more than that, when I bring my game to the level, on which it once already was. Now, I am determined to help Kraski zidar Jadran to achieve the goals that we set. This is the highest priority and all the players in the team work for that. For this game, my friend helped me to get extremely motivated and it seems like the players were able to recognize I have this special energy inside of me today. I appreciate them more than you can imagine. They are so smart, they know I have a lot of experiences and skills and they let me play the role that I like the most. I would like to thank them for that from the depth of my hearth! I really enjoyed this game and I hope this step on our way will bring us to our final destination.'

*****************************************************SOUTH KOREA

Samsung into finals for third time -by Eurobasket The Samsung Thunders are going to the Korean Basketball League Finals for the third time since the league began in 1997. The Thunders swept the KCC Egis in three straight games in the best-of-five semifinal, winning 81-72 last night at home in Seoul. Samsung won the league title in 2001 and 2006 and has won five straight playoff games this season. The score was 55-55 after three seesaw quarters. But Thomas Victor (201-F-79, college: La Salle) opened the fourth quarter for Samsung with a putback and an alley-oop dunk. After a drive by KCC forward Robinson Jason (196-F-80, college: Pikeville) knotted things up at 61-61, Lee Kyu-Sup (198-F-73) made a 3-pointer on the other end, and Kang Hyuk (187-G-70) and Thomas added two-point field goals. Then Lee sank a 3-pointer to make it 75-65 with 2:26 left. Lee had 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Thomas had 25 points and nine rebounds. Kang scored all 12 of his points in the second half. The Thunders trailed 36-34 at halftime. Samsung coach Ahn Jun-Ho said his players tried to do too much individually. 'In the locker room at halftime, I told them they had to play as a team on offense and defense,' Ahn said in a televised interview with Xports. 'I said they were feeling arrogant after two wins and that they should straighten up.'Lee said winning the first two games of the series on the road helped boost the players' confidence. 'We played defense and we did all the dirty work,' Lee told Xports. 'And the Egis looked a bit rustier than our team.'Seo Jang-hoon led KCC with 25 points and 11 rebounds but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. KCC was just 3-of-23 from 3-point range, while Samsung made 8-of-19 from beyond the arc. KCC also struggled at the foul line making only 15-of-25 attempts. The Thunders' Lee said, 'We had confidence and trust in each other's scoring ability. So we played unselfish basketball and became a tough team to defend in the postseason.'Ahn also credited the balanced offense for the victory. 'With Leather Terrence (206-C-81, college: S.Florida) struggling, Thomas Victor picked up the slack,' Ahn said of Leather, held to seven points. 'Kang picked it up in the second half and Lee Kyu-Sup made clutch shots late in the game.'My players have shown such a great competitive fire,' Ahn continued. 'It's been a perfect run.'

Michel Morandais (198-G/F-79, college: Colorado) has been waived by MMT Estudiantes today, as the club announced to media. He started the season with ACA Barcelona, replacing injured player Alex Acker, but when Acker went back. Michel Morandais was cut by Barca and signed by MMT Estudiantes. In the last games his role had low relevance and his adding was not enough to keep him in the roster. The club from Madrid wll try to avoid relegation with one less man in the roster.

*****************************************************TAIWAN

Taiwan Beer takes Game 1 -by Chris WangLin Chih-chieh had 29 points and 9 rebounds and Ho Shou-cheng scored all his 12 points in the second half as defending champ Taiwan Beer routed Yulon 80-64 in Game 1 of the 2008 SBL Finals.

Lin had 16 points in the first half, when the Beermen overcame an opening 12-0 deficit and jumped in front 36-34 at the intermission. In the second half, Ho's scoring touch kept Yulon in a distance.

Yulon's depth was never a factor in the game as it became a two-men team. Chen Chih-chung led with 22 points and Chen Hsin-an added 19 points and 7 boards, but none of their teammates scored more than 10 points.

I had predicted in the preseason and in mid-season that TB would not repeat as champion because the team could never find a chemistry and share the ball. TB finished only 19-11 as the No. 3 seed coming into the postseason and that probably told you I was pretty smart.

Nope. TB was a different team in the second season. Its three-game sweep of dmedia was a surprise. And judging from its play in Game 1, Taiwan Beer is back.

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder why that Yulon, which is as deep as Taiwan Beer, could never develop a right rotation under head coach Lee Yun-kwang.

Starting center Tseng Wen-ting was never the same after his knee injury in the mid-season. Tseng, who was still dominant as late as the last season, scored only one point in Game 1. Newcomers yang Che-yi and Lee Chih-yi, both played for the national team, were also inconsistent.

EBL Final Four preview -by Dave RyanThe final trophies of the EBL season are on the line over the weekend as the National League stages its first Final Fours weekend at the EIS in Sheffield.Four sides from each of the men's and women's Division Ones and men's Division Two will do battle as they attempt to lift their play-off crowns.There's a certain symmetry to the three sets of play-offs, with the teams who finished first, second, fourth and sixth competing. The third placed teams in all three divisions were all upset with home losses in the quarter-finals last weekend; Derby Trailblazers traveled to holders Worthing Thunder, and a dominant performance saw them win 96-86. They will now face a Reading Rockets side who have already beaten them three times this season, but veteran point guard Stedroy Baker (172-G-69) believes that can upset the formbook again: 'We felt really comfortable against them and we are playing a lot better now, so we're really confident,' he said. 'We'll obviously be going in as underdogs, but sometimes that can be an advantage because there's no pressure.'If we play to our best, I believe we can beat them. We've got to work hard in practice and devise a game plan to get the job done,' he said. 'We'll be looking at game tapes to see where we can improve, but I don't think we did too much wrong the last time we played them.' The winner of the Reading v's Derby game will meet either Manchester Magic or Bristol Academy Flyers in Sunday afternoon's final. Magic hammered Taunton Tigers to qualify for the Final Four last week, while Flyers defeated London Leopard 105-96.In the women's Division One, Solent Stars emulated Derby by winning 94-88 at Team Northumbria, and they will now meet Rhondda Rebels in the semi-final, while the other game will see City of Sheffield Hatters facing Manchester Mystics as they aim for their 17th straight Championship game appearance.Mystics' coach Sergio Lara-Bercial, who will also take charge of the GB under-20 women's side in the summer, is looking forward to the game: 'We are delighted to be here. Our objective this year was to have a top four finish and this looked very unlikely after a bad start to 2008. It definitely has not been plain sailing and that speaks volumes about the players and the bond they have developed'The hat-trick of sixth place successes was completed at Birmingham Aston Athletics where Team Northumbria comfortably won 81-64. They will now meet neighbours Tees Valley Mohawks in the semi-final, with the winner facing either league champions Cardiff Celts or Leicester Warriors in Sunday's final.

Dynamo Moscow and Akasvayu Girona advance to the semifinals -by Eurobasket NewsDynamo Moscow will play in the semifinal of the ULEB Cup as the team overcame Polish Turow Zgorzelec. Russian squad took the control from the early beginning and led the game to 78:63. Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) led the winners with 22 points. Milos Vujanic nailed 16 points, while Robertas Javtokas (211-C-80, agency: Interperformances, college: Arizona) scored 15. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) top-scored for Turow with 19 points, while Thomas Kelati netted 15. Henry Domercant not only top-scored for the winners , but also set up a new ULEB Cup elimination rounds record for more shots from downtown made without a miss. He nailed six out of six three-pointers and looking forward for a semifinal countdown.Vujanic capped a 7:0 Dynamo run but Kelati answered with a seven-meter bomb to keep Turow on track. Robertas Javtokas kept Dynamo ahead 25:17 as the teams finished the opening quarter. It was again Kelati who tied the score at 25:25 as his Turow enjoyed a 10-0 run for a 27:25 advantage. Vujanic drove a layup to fix Dynamo's halftime advantage at 43:38. Third quarter became the decisive in the game as Dynamo started to increase. Robertas Javtokas spurted Dynamo's run for 59:45. Kelati tried to ignite a Turow comeback with free throws while Skecic added a layup for 59:49 deficit, but the game did not belong to them. Hansen broke the game open at 66:51 and Dynamo celebrated the total 78:63 win after four quarters.Unics could not join Dynamo for a possible Russian semifinal and let Akasvayu Girona became the last team to advance. Now there is a possibility that Turin will see Spanish Final. Akasvayu Girona beat Unics Kazan 75:66 in the last game of the quarterfinals. Darjus Lavrinovic did not play due to a last-minute back injury. Arriel McDonald (191-G-72, college: Minnesota) and Marc Gasol (212-C-85, agency: Interperformances) top-scored for the winners with 19 points apiece. Branko Cvetkovic followed them with 14, while Ivan Radenovic added 10. Dusko Savanovic (204-F/C-83, agency: Beo Basket) and Sergei Chikalkin posted 12 points for Unics. Romanian Virgil Stanescu ended up with 10 points in the losing effort.

*****************************************************

Women News

*****************************************************COLOMBIA - Women

Arias advances to Austrian Play-offs -by Eurobasket NewsYaneth Arias (188-F-82, agency: Next Level) and her Flying Foxes advanced to the Final of Austrian Play-offs. Flying Foxes got to a slightly better start against Wels as they enjoyed a 19:16 lead after 10 minutes of action. But Wels kept it close and arrived at halftime break trailing by a single point 30:31. The things brightened up for the hosts in the third period as Wels finally denied the deficit and surged ahead finalizing a 39:36 advantage after three-quarter time. But the experience of Flying Foxes leaders played a key role as they masterminded a comeback effort in the closing minutes and secured a crucial success. Yaneth Arias led the scorers with 17 points. Martina Remler dropped 16 points in a win. In Game 2 Yaneth Arias nailed 12 points as Flying Foxes escaped 50:49 victory. In Game 1 Colombian player finished the game with 18 points. Before that Herzogenburg claimed an important win over their arch-rivals Flying Foxes to claim the top spot in the qualifying round. The teams clashed in the final round of the second stage of the championship. They headed into the battle tied at 13-2 record. But Herzogenburg proved a bit stronger in a defensively-minded encounter. Herzogenburg played at home court and got to a better start. They grabbed a 20:17 lead after the opening frame. Flying Foxes stayed close and trimmed the gap to a single point entering the final stanza. The teams headed entered the final seconds with the hosts up by 1 but Szoke completed the winning result for the home side with accurate free throws. DiAndrea Humpries led the victors with 21 points. Maree Jones added 13 points for Herzogenburg. Yaneth Arias dropped 27 points, while Esmary Vargas had 11 in defeat.

DBBL Play-Offs: Freiburg advance to the semis -by Moritz KorffUSC Eisvoegel Freiburg - BG 74 Goettingen 85:75 OTFreiburg made it 2:0 in the quarterfinal-series (Best of three) against Goettingen and is the first team to advance to the semis. An 85:75-home win in overtime was needed to overcome the Violets. Though Goettingens Ofa Tulikihihifo (180-G/F-84, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: CSU Northridge) stood out with a fantastic individual performance (25 points, 23 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 9/10 from the line, but also 6 turnovers and only 8/21 from the field), the Goettingen-players could not prevent that their season ended on a Thursday night in Freiburg. In a game with many turnovers (55 totally) the two teams were close most of the time. Freiburg was ahed 42:40 at the half, but Goettingen went into the 4th quarter leading with four points. After 40 minutes played the score was even, so an extra period had to be played. In overtime the visitors fell short 6:16. Sarah Hayes (173-G-84, college: Brown) led the Freiburg-attack with a game-high 26 points and also snagged 7 steals, Mirna Paunovic (185-F/C-76) added 16 points, Dana Penno (173-G-85, college: UTEP) had 15 and Melissa Dennett (188-F-83, college: Colorado St.) 13 points plus 9 boards. Tulikihihifo was not the only player to finish the game in double digits for the Violets: Jennifer Kerns (172-G-76, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Washington St.) tallied 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals, Dasa Rajecka (188-C-87) netted 15 points.

Two more teams have earned the tickets for the Play-Off Semifinals on Friday night. While regular-season champion TSV Wasserburg defeated Muenchen Basket 74:64 on the road, the Saarlouis Royals held off BC Marburg 75:57. Meanwhile, the hope is still alive in Halle to make the round of the last four teams in the club's first ever DBBL-Play-Off appearance, after the Lions overcame New Basket Oberhausen at home (84:78). The decisive game three will take place on Sunday in Oberhausen.

BC Marburg - TV Saarlouis 57:75Julie Anne Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington) posted a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds to guide the Royals to an away-win at Marburg. She was one of four Saarlouis-players to finished the game in double-figure scoring: Also Petra Manakova (193-F/C-82, college: Oakland) and Rachel Wojdowski (179-G/F-82, agency: LBM Management, college: New York U.) who tallied 15 points apiece and Romy Baer (187-F-87) with 13 points put in more than 10 against an Oberhausen-squad that was paced by Amanda Davidson (170-G-83, college: Indianapolis) who had 14 points and 6 assists in the encounter.

SV Halle - New Basket Oberhausen 84:78The hosting Lions ran out for a 26:15-start in the first quarter, but the visitors had cut the lead to seven points until halftime. The following third period was dominated by offensive action, as Oberhausen won this stage 29:27. The game remainded close during the final ten minutes, when Halle was able to enforce the win and game three. Katarzyna Dluzyk (175-G-82) topscored 21 points for the Lions, Brittney Whiteside (175-G-85, college: Wright St.) added 13 points, Sherida Triggs (185-F-85, college: ODU), Monika Gavrilovska (191-F/C-76, agency: Global Sports Plaza) and Karin Seifert (179-F) each had 12 points. Bracey Barker (185-F-85, college: Maine) answered with 21 points for the guests, Heather Ernest (186-F/C-81, college: Maine) had 19 and Sarah Austmann (182-G/F-85) 17 points in the loss.

Cortijo and Vargas are the top in their teams -by Eurobasket NewsCarla Cortijo (170-G-87) and Texas from the US earned Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team honors last year as a redshirt freshman. She top-scored in the last game of NCAA tournament for her team as Texas lost Connecticut. Carla Cortijo scored 18 points and Earnesia Williams added 12 to lead the eighth-seeded Longhorns who had won six of seven including a 72:55 win over Minnesota in the first round.Esmary Vargas (191-C-81, agency: Next Level, college: Emporia St.) and her Flying Foxes advanced to the Final of Austrian Play-offs. Flying Foxes got to a slightly better start against Wels as they enjoyed a 19:16 lead after 10 minutes of action. But Wels kept it close and arrived at halftime break trailing by a single point 30:31. The things brightened up for the hosts in the third period as Wels finally denied the deficit and surged ahead finalizing a 39:36 advantage after three-quarter time. But the experience of Flying Foxes leaders played a key role as they masterminded a comeback effort in the closing minutes and secured a crucial success. Yaneth Arias led the scorers with 17 points. Martina Remler dropped 16 points in a win. In Game 2 Esmary Vargas nailed 11 points as Flying Foxes escaped 50:49 victory. In Game 1 Puerto Rican player finished the game with 9 points. Before that Herzogenburg claimed an important win over their arch-rivals Flying Foxes to claim the top spot in the qualifying round. The teams clashed in the final round of the second stage of the championship. They headed into the battle tied at 13-2 record. But Herzogenburg proved a bit stronger in a defensively-minded encounter. Herzogenburg played at home court and got to a better start. They grabbed a 20:17 lead after the opening frame. Flying Foxes stayed close and trimmed the gap to a single point entering the final stanza. The teams headed entered the final seconds with the hosts up by 1 but Szoke completed the winning result for the home side with accurate free throws. DiAndrea Humpries led the victors with 21 points. Maree Jones added 13 points for Herzogenburg. Yaneth Arias dropped 27 points, while Esmary Vargas had 11 in defeat.

*****************************************************ROMANIA - Women

One more game needed before the semis -by Eurobasket NewsRapid tied the series against S.Studentesc as the team had a road 67:68 win in the second game of the Quarterfinals. In all the others series the semifinalists are known. Sf.Gheorghe advanced over Govora with 87:64 after game 2. Arad edged Oradea 76:69 to take the semifinal spot. Alexandria was stronger than Cluj Napoca 83:63. In Austria Herzogenburg looked very confident in the matchup against Klosterneuburg and rolled to a 66:53 victory in Game 3 to sweep it. The visitors dominated from the start giving no chance for Klosterneuburg. The favorites were up by 8 points at the interval and stretched the gap to 10 points before the final stanza. The home side never recovered and had to watch their final birth chances slip away. DiAndrea Humpries led Herzogenburg with 17 points. Romanian Gabriella Szoke (186-C-68) contributed 15 points in a win. Katharina Podoschek answered with 12 points for Klosterneuburg. Romanian Edith Szoke (186-F/C-69) ended up with 13 points. In the first semifinal game Edith Szoke nailed 3 points, while Gabriella Szoke poured in 18.

Lucia Kupcikova (184-F-84) will play for MBK Ruzomberok in next season. She signed one year contract. 23-years old forward is in the club from 2006 and in current season she is the captain of the team. She is one of the best players in Ruzomberok and she helped the team to achieve Eight-Finals of Eurocup Woman. Kupcikova is slovak national player and in last year Additional Qualificaion she playes in 5 matches.

*****************************************************UKRAINE - Women

Semifinals openers -by Eurobasket NewsThe first semifinals of the Ukrainian Play-offs were too different from each other. Dnipro easily overcame Chaika, while the game between Tim-Scuf and Kozachka was highly appreciated as the battle between rivals. Dnipro smashed Chaika 135:56 in the first game of the semifinals. After the first half, the hosts led the game with 64:30 advantage. Ir was not a big deal for the winner of the regular season to finish the opener with a win. The score in the end of the game did not deserve to be the one for the semifinal, however we expect a better game from Chaika at home. Yuliya Yakhina (187-C-80) and Anna Pokoiova (188-F-87) led the winners with 23 points each. Maryna Sazonenko (172-G-86, college: Oregon St.) followed them with 22 points. Evgeniya Yakunina (175-G-87) ended up with 17 points in the losing effort. The game between Tim-Scuf and Kozachka brought more interest as the teams seem to be equal. Kozachka had a strong start and led 61:45 after the third quarter. Tim-Scuf woke up only in the last quarter, but to save the game they did not have time. As a result Kozachka won the opener 68:63. Natalia Isachenko (183-G-79) paced the winners with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Fenko tried hard and collected 18 points and 11 rebounds. Irina Krasnoshchek (190-F-81, agency: LBM Management) top-scored for the hosts with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Yelena Savina (186-F-84) had 16 points and 10 boards in defeat.